


Fineshrine

by goodnightxgoodbye



Category: Vikings (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-01 12:13:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13998120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodnightxgoodbye/pseuds/goodnightxgoodbye
Summary: Mathilda is a young nun who has spent her whole life living in a convent. When the vikings land nearby she realizes just how discontent she is with her life and decides that maybe in the midst of all of this chaos, she can finally start anew.





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Mathilda woke up with a stirring feeling in her belly the morning that she heard that the Northmen had landed near Repton. All of her young life had been spent in a convent and throughout most of those years she had been told tales of how they had raided these lands and murdered and stole good, Godly men. So, it would not have been unusual for her to feel frightened that these savages were back and could storm through their sacred home at any given time; it would even have been expected of her. But on that fateful morning fear was one of the last feelings on her mind. 

"Mathilda!" Sister Joan exclaimed breaking her from her reverie. 

"Yes, Sister?" She said, standing and bowing her heard before her closest friend and confidant. 

"Will you not be joining us in vigil?" 

"Of course," Mathilda said as she sat back down on her bed debating her next sentence "are you afraid of what could happen to us, Joan?" She whispered quietly so that her friend could barely hear her. 

"No. Mathilda," she sighed sitting beside her and taking her hands in hers "you have to trust in God. No matter what happens when the Northmen arrive, that is our destiny. Surely you believe that as well?" 

Mathilda averted her eyes at the question. It's not that she didn't believe in God, of course she did, but she couldn't help the feeling that was creeping inside of her. A feeling that was telling her she needed to leave and leave now. That a place full of Godly women, virginal women, nonetheless, was not a safe place to be when these men arrived. Anyone that had heard the stories from the recent past could tell you what happened to the local Saxon women every time they arrived on shore. So, yes, fear actually was one of the thoughts on her mind, but her will to live was right there at the center of it all. 

"I do" she said nodding firmly, her uncertainties being left unsaid. 

She wanted to be brave, to actually voice her concerns, but that was not in her character and that was certainly not in the way she was raised. And who was she to question the teachings of the sisters that took her in when her mother abandoned her when she was just a wee babe. Besides, who would take a young nun in? The king and his family had gone into exile and some of the townspeople were starting to flee as well. 

"Good. I am glad to hear you say that." Joan beamed at her friend. "I will see you outside once you are finished with dressing" 

Mathilda smiled as Joan walked out of the room, but as soon as the door was closed she flung herself back onto her bed and closed her eyes. 

"Lord, please tell me what to do. I know it is wrong that my heart desires to abandon my sisters at such a time, but I believe deep in my soul that this is not the life for me. It was chosen for me, not by me. Please, Lord, give me the courage I so greatly aspire to have to leave before my life is taken away from me for good." 

As she opened her eyes she came to a realization. Why should she wait for divine intervention to lead her out of the convent? She needed to muster this courage up herself. And that is exactly what she would do. 

Gathering her skirts, she snuck down the hallway as quietly as she could, watching out for her fellow sisters along the way. As she came to the kitchen she hid behind the entrance until there was no one around to see her sneak outside. Grabbing an empty flour sack, she threw a loaf of bread and a few apples inside. Mathilda had no idea where she was going to be headed towards, but she hoped that this would sustain her for a couple of days. Heading towards the back entrance of the convent, she crept soundly until she reached the door. Bolting outside into the early morning sun, she turned once she was a safe distance away. This was the only place that she had ever called home, the only place where she knew anyone. Turning away before she could lament any further she wondered to herself if fleeing from potential danger would only lead her directly to it. Unfortunately, she felt that was a risk she needed to take. 

"I know that stealing is wrong and that it is a sin," she sighed peering into the sky "but it is time I make my own destiny".


	2. Chapter 2

It had been five whole days since Mathilda had run away. Five days of travelling across new territory and of trying to sustain her meager supply of food. On that fifth day, right as dusk was starting to set, she stumbled on a small hunting cabin. When Mathilda first saw the cabin, she could have sworn she was dreaming. But dreaming she was not. 

The cabin itself was not much to look at. With one small bed laid in the middle of the floor and a table with no chairs tucked into the corner, it was clear that the place had not been touched in some time. Bending down to swipe a finger across a cracked plate she sighed to herself. "This will have to do" she thought to herself. 

Closing her eyes that night Mathilda envisioned her future. A future that involved living in this cabin. In the spring and summer, she would bring in bluebells and spend her days planting and picking fruits. In the winter the hearth would bring some much-needed warmth to the long days that would lie ahead. Maybe there would even be a man in this hypothetical future of hers. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

The following morning Mathilda decided to venture out for a bath. Prior to finding the cabin she now inhabited, she had passed by a lake. Hoping to trace her path from the day before, she set out with a small basin to satiate the thirst she had since she arrived the day before. 

Floating in the water, naked as the day one was born, Mathilda reflected on the last few days. She wondered if any of the sisters noticed her absence and if they had, had they sent anyone to search for where she could have gone? She knew she missed Joan dearly and wished she could be here to experience this with her. Being out in the woods all by herself was a lot more lonesome than Mathilda had originally imagined it to be. But as soon as she thought about her loneliness she heard a distant crunch of branches. 

Swimming as fast as she could to land, Mathilda grabbed her dress and pulled it on as quickly as she could. Reaching with damp hands she grabbed out to the garb that typically covered her hair. But before she could place the covering over her head, a voice called out to her. 

"Hello" 

She was frozen. The man standing in front of her was a Northman. Not knowing what to do, but wanting to protect herself, she grabbed the basin and raised it above her head. 

"What do you want?" She called out. 

The man approached her slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. 

"What are you doing out here?" He asked her in an almost laughing matter. 

"I asked you w- what do you want?" 

"I just wanted to know why a young Saxon girl is out all here all by herself when everyone else has fled." The man calmly asked her. 

This stranger, while he was a Northman, did not seem as savage as she was led to believe. The stories the Sisters had shared around the convent made these men seem like they all lacked a sense of self-control. And if that was true, wouldn't he have actually attacked her by now? 

"I am" she sighed, lowering the basin and running her free hand through her short, cropped hair, " I was a nun" 

The word "nun" seemed to set this stranger off. Laughing quietly this man started to inch towards her again. 

Upon seeing him move Mathilda raised her new-found weapon above her head and started backwards towards the water, the bottom of her dress starting to become soaked. 

"Please don't" she pleaded. 

The man rolled his eyes up to the sky before reaching a hand out to grab her right arm. 

"I’m sorry, but I have to take you back with me" 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Ubbe didn't want to hurt this girl. When he first noticed her, he assumed she was just a young boy, all gangly limbs and short hair. He soon realized his mistake after she opened her mouth in a valiant attempt to confront him. His reason behind taking her from the shore were not with the intentions of bedding her. No, he did not desire that. He was just hoping to keep her as a thrall for as long as they stayed in Wessex. Someone that could help clean his armor after battle, nothing more. Granted, Ubbe could not help what would befall her once they arrived at the camp and his brothers took notice of her. But, as long as she stayed with him, he would not lay a cruel hand on her. 

"What is your name?" He asked her halfway through their trek. The girl had put up quit the fight along the way, digging her heels into the earth and scratching his forearm. 

"Mathilda" she huffed. 

"Ubbe" he replied, turning around to look at her. As he did she lowered her head dejectedly. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

Mathilda hated this man, Ubbe, for taking her. She finally had her first taste of freedom and it was cruelly stolen from her as soon as it started. Around the time the man introduced himself she decided it might be wiser for her to play along, maybe her compliance would keep her safe. Mathilda began to pray and beg to her God that maybe there wouldn't be many men occupying this camp. And if that was the case, maybe she stood a chance of making an escape during the night. 

That was not the case. 

As they descended the hill that led into the encampment Mathilda noticed the land occupied by hundreds of tents and even more inhabiting soldiers. 

"No" she stopped dead in her tracks. 

"No? "Ubbe turned around to ask her. 

"I will not go down there" she whispered almost to herself. 

Tightening his grip on her arm, he shoved her forward. "You do not have a choice". 

Ubbe led Mathilda through the throngs of men that were congregating around. Some of the men made comments towards her in a language that she did not understand but could only assume the lewdness of. She wondered if this was her punishment for leaving the convent. There could be no other explanation for why this sudden twist of fate was happening to her. Pushing her thoughts and silent tears away, she lifted her head and steadied herself with a false sense of bravado. Right before Ubbe could bring her into his tent a voice called out from the side of them 

"Hefurðu fært okkur nýjan leikfang, bróðir?"* 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

"Hefurðu fært okkur nýjan leikfang, bróðir?" - Have you brought us a new toy, brother?


	3. Chapter 3

"Hefurðu fært okkur nýjan leikfang, bróðir?" 

Mathilda stopped abruptly as Ubbe turned around to face the voice that had called out to him. 

"Ivar." he hissed, shaking his head. Turning back to face the young woman in his grasp, he shoved her towards the tent before them and motioned for her to go on in. 

"I have to go speak to my brothers. I expect you'll still be here when I come back?" 

Mathilda nodded her head at the man's departing figure. Where did he think she could go? The field was filled with far too many men and women that would happily cut her down without a second thought. Pushing the flap of the tent back she stepped in and regarded her new surroundings. Noticing the lack of space inside she prayed that Ubbe would not want to use her for sexual purposes. She had heard many a tale of women who were forced into slavery by Northmen and were repeatedly raped. Trying to push the terrible thoughts to the back of her mind, she sat on the wet grass and began to contemplate ways to ensure her survival in this current predicament. In her short life Mathilda had only served her God, but now she would turn some of that devotion, albeit a forced one, onto her captor. If she could please this man and just do what she was told maybe he and his brothers would find her useful enough that they wouldn't want to get rid of her, or even worse kill her. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"What was that thing you brought back to camp with you, Ubbe?" Hvitserk chuckled as his brother came storming towards the group of princes. 

"Not a thing, but a new thrall." 

"And you just happened to stumble upon a thrall when you went out for a piss?" Sigurd questioned. 

"She's a nun. She was bathing by the river when I found her. I don't know how or why she was there, nor do I care. I just figured she could be useful to us". 

"What use would a Christian be to us? Unless you plan to have her warm your bed, I do not see the point." Ivar, the youngest prince, said smirking. 

Ubbe cringed at his brother's suggestion. He had no intention of taking Mathilda against her will. 

"She is a Saxon, is she not? She probably understands the land and people better than we do." 

The brothers seemed to consider this option for a minute before Ivar spoke up again. 

"What happens if she isn't really a nun at all? What if she's a spy of some sort? What do we do with her then, brother?" 

Ubbe shrugged, realizing he hadn't thought of that being a possibility. It was probably a bit too convenient that a young woman happened to be bathing all by herself out near their camp. 

"I think you know the answer to that, Ivar." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Mathilda had spent what like hours sitting on the cold, wet ground of Ubbe's tent waiting for his return. She was uncertain of where she was to go from here. Surely, she would be sent to sleep and eat wherever the other captive women were. The problem was, she had no idea how to find said women. With her captor just shoving her inside the tent and then immediately abandoning her and her lack of understanding of the Norse language, she was stuck here for the time being. But Mathilda wouldn't have to wait too much longer. Shortly after falling into a light sleep, Ubbe came sauntering into the tent with two other men; a third came crawling in soon after. 

"Mathilda," Ubbe said approaching her slowly, as if she was a rabid dog "we're not here to hurt you. We just have a few questions we would like to ask you." 

Questions? Mathilda wondered what kind of questions they could possibly have for her, let alone what answers they thought they could get out of her. Because the thing was, she didn't have anything she could tell them. She was a nun, not a member of the royal court or a political strategist. 

Mathilda felt cornered like a trapped animal in this moment. These men were all strikingly handsome, but incredibly intimidating at the same time. Prior to this day she had never been alone with one man, let alone stuck in a tent with four. Getting out of this situation would require her to cooperate with them regardless of her lack of knowledge. 

"I do not know anything. All I know is the church and unless you are planning on attacking a church rather than fighting on the battlefield, I assure you I will be of no use." 

"Hvað sagði hún?" The man who crawled in asked Ubbe. He stared at her as if he was debating something and then turned to his companion and translated what she had. The words seemed to have a sort of effect on him as he smiled. 

"Nú hljómar það eins og góð áætlun! Er það ekki, bræður?" The stranger said as he slided over towards Mathilda. The words,while unintelligible to her, seemed to convey a threat that she just couldn't understand yet. 

The mood in the space had changed almost instantly. Ubbe was rolling his eyes, while the blonde man looked incredibly uncomfortable. A tall man with brown,braided hair stood behind all of them grinning fiendishly as if he was at a feast rather than an interrogation. 

"What did he say?" Mathilda asked Ubbe quitely, afraid of what he might tell her. 

"Ignore Ivar. My brother has a tendancy to become overeager when it comes to fighting." Ubbe said stepping in between her and this man. 

Ignore him? Mathilda thought. Ivar seemed like a hard man to ignore. He had only been in the same space as her for a few short minutes and had dominated her presence as if it had belonged to him this whole time. 

"Komdu, bræður. Við höfum bardaga við að skipuleggja." Ubbe suddenly beckoned to the other men as he started to exit the tent. Ivar gave her one final parting smirk as he pulled himself after them. And just like that, Mathilda was alone again, for better or worse. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Hvað sagði hún? - What did she say? 

Nú hljómar það eins og góð áætlun! Er það ekki, bræður? - Now that sounds like a good plan! Does it not, brothers? 

Komdu, bræður. Við höfum bardaga við að skipuleggja – Come brothers, we have a battle to plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! If you're reading this, I just wanted to thank you! But I also wanted to put out a request for a beta reader. If you or anyone you know betas, please feel free to message me. Thanks again! :)


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